The House of Grace, founded in 1982 by Kamil and Agnes Shehede, was the first ever half way house for released prisoners in Israel. However while today the House serves both youth and low-income families in addition to released prisoners, it all began with the simple act of hospitality. Growing up in downtown Haifa, Kamil was acutely aware of the problems faced by poorer members of society and in
particular those who had gone through the prison system and who once released, had nowhere to turn. So, when he married Agnes one of his stipulations was that after their honeymoon they would begin accepting released prisoners into their personal home. As a newly married couple, they lived with these ex-prisoners, sharing meals and holidays with them and giving them a supportive environment from which to re enter society. At first, because of the size of their apartment, they only accepted two prisoners however as word spread about the House, so too did the demand. Kamil and Agnes began to realize that they would need a much bigger space in order to serve this growing demand and so, they asked the local bishop for the use of an old and long abandoned Church on Palyam Street. With the last of their money from the wedding, Kamil and Agnes begin to renovate the church and the apartment above and with this the House of Grace was born. In the beginning, they took in anyone who needed a home and sought out any possible way to help from job training to financial aid. Thirty one years later, the House of Grace still embodies this warm, caring spirit but has expanded to serve not only prisoners but also lower-income families and youth in need. Led by their mission of serving the most marginalized members of society, House of Grace continues to provide important aid to those who need it the most but more than that, it provides them with the love and support they need to move forward.
